It is possible to provide energy to a moving target or vehicle by way of an electromagnetic energy beam, such as a microwave or laser beam. Typically, the source of the energy beam is located separate and apart from the object being powered. For example, an energy beam source can be stationary relative to a vehicle or other apparatus that is being powered (to some extent) by the energy beam. In the case of a laser beam, photovoltaic cells can be used to convert the incident laser energy directly to usable electrical power at the receiving object. In the case of microwave energy, antenna grids, focusing dishes and/or other suitable means can be used to derive electrical power at the receiver. In any case, it is possible to construct a system wherein a receiving apparatus or vehicle need not carry voluminous and/or massive sources of energy (e.g., batteries, jet fuel, etc.) in order to be partially or fully provisioned with operating power.
When a system requires a relatively small amount of energy, a single-beam arrangement is usually adequate. Under such a system, sensing devices and controls maintain suitable aiming of the energy beam on the appropriate receiving area (i.e., antenna, photovoltaic array, etc.) of the object being powered. In other cases, there are vehicles or other apparatus that require considerably more energy than a single source (laser or microwave emitter, etc.) can economically and/or technologically provide. For example, a flying vehicle may require 100 kW of power in order to operate. Economically, it is desirable to use ten 10 kW lasers, rather than a single 100 kW laser, to provide the needed power in this example. Furthermore, it is often easier to package ten 10 kW lasers and their supporting hardware into a mobile platform (if desired) than to package a single 100 kW laser and it supporting hardware into the same sort of platform. Thus, economies of scale are an important—and sometime technologically imperative—matter of consideration in designing and operating systems powered by multiple energy beams.
However, a problem arises when attempting to use several energy sources in concert to power an apparatus. Specifically, it is necessary to independently control each energy beam source so as to keep all of the respective energy beams accurately aimed at the receiving area of the powered apparatus. Furthermore, it is economically desirable to provide an energy beam receiving area (or array) on the apparatus or vehicle that is not much larger than the meaningful width of an energy beam.
Use of various means and methods for aiming a single energy beam are known in the prior art. However, these prior art systems may be unsuitable when multiple energy beams must be accurately maintained on a single receiving apparatus. Therefore, novel systems and methods that resolve the foregoing problems and concerns would have great utility.